Pol Pot's Role In The Cambodian Genocide

“They hated us” (p. 340). This became the cry of one eyewitness whom was unfortunately involved within the Cambodian Genocide. The genocide took place within the years of 1975-1979 under the ruler Pol Pot. Pol Pot lived within the region land of Cambodia and grew up as a working peasant, and was well liked during his youth by those within his country. Pol Pot also studied the ideology of Marxism during his youth and realized that under this ideology, his homeland could drive out those whom he believed should not be welcomed within the country. Therefore in 1953, Pol Pot returned to his homeland in which because of his studies, allowed him to join the underground Communist movement. After the realization of those whom were killed due to the bombardments by the U.S., Pol Pot realized that something must be done …show more content…
325). Those who were affected from the genocide suffered from aspects of malnutrition and diseases. One aspect that affected many of those involved within the genocide was post-traumatic stress. “Post-traumatic stress syndrome is a general problem, including illnesses such as psychosomatic blindness, which has been diagnosed among survivors living in the United States” (p. 328). It is because of these aspects that those whom were affected were never able to truly recover from those events that were inflicted upon them during the rough four years. It was during these four years that the population of Cambodia suffered erratically. “The population of Cambodia totaled around 6.5 million in 1979. The survivors emerged from the Pol Pot period nearly 3.5 million fewer than the 1980 population that had been projected in 1970” (p. 327). Though many of the natives of Cambodia died from the bombings associated with the US before the war, many of the rest of the natives ultimately 1.7 million deaths “… are attributable to the Khmer Rouge” (p.